Bada...Bing?!?!?!

Hello, everybody. Over the decades, very popular and long-running TV shows have found some great ways to go out in style. "Cheers" had Sam Malone closing up shop for the final time with "Sorry, we're closed" as the final line; "Seinfeld" ended with the cast all behind bars (just like Paris Hilton is...again), "M*A*S*H's" finale was the most-watched program of all-time; "The Fugitive" ended with the One-Armed Man gunned down to death with Dr. Richard Kimble being cleared of any wrongdoing; "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" capped off with Sunnyvale being swallowed whole underground; "Everybody Loves Raymond", the family sitting down for a meal; and "Friends" with the cast evicting themselves from the apartment.

But one finale that will not join the ranks of the other shows after last night was "The Sopranos." Okay, I've never liked the show, but I had to watch just to see how it all wound down. And boy, were we gypped!

The final scene had Tony, Carmela, and A.J. munching on onion rings, while outside the diner, Meadow's been struggling to parallel park her car. Back inside, three suspicious people were scoping the scene, and in the last few seconds with Meadow entering the diner....cut to black. Viewers all over were thinking to themselves, "What? Is my cable or satellite cut off? Did HBO go off the air?!"

After over ten seconds, the end credits popped up, leaving us to draw our own conclusions as to what transpired last. It didn't take long for loyal and irate viewers to flood HBO's "Sopranos" boards to explain their disgust, while some of them thought show creator David Chase did the right thing to end it like this.

But here's how I think it ended, and many of you might agree with me on this one:

Tony finished his last meal. Perhaps either the batter on the onion rings were laced with poison just to kill him instantly, or as the moment Meadow walked in, he got the ultimate whack as one of the guys shot him in the head as the rest of the family witnessed it.

However, there were reports that three alternate endings were done to keep things under wraps. Whether or not they'll be on DVD with the rest of the final season, we don't know. What we do know is when talks of a reunion movie are in the first stages, we'll get to find out how it really ended.

With "The Sopranos" now over once and for all after eight years, new lives for the cast have begun. James Gandolfini and Robert Iler will probably be typecast for some time, but for years Jamie-Lynn Sigler (Meadow Soprano herself) has been living a life in between seasons. She has done very sexy shoots for men's magazines like "Maxim", and earlier this year paparazzi has snapped her showing off more of her body in a bikini while frolicking in Miami Beach. Pretty whackable, but in a different kind of way if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I think Jamie-Lynn will either return to Broadway where she got her start, or get her own show on probably The CW or better yet, troubled fourth-place NBC. Yeah, like if they needed anybody but Meadow Soprano to save their network from extinction! No wonder why ratings for the Stanley Cup Finals (and congrats to the Anaheim Ducks, by the way) were down the toilet!

So in the end, "The Sopranos" closed off with not a Bada-Bing, but a Bada-Whimper.

Now that it's all out of the way....we're less than 14 days now from the big West Valley Class of '97 reunion weekend, in which the second day will be a barbecue at Pioneer Park. And speaking of which...last week, it played host to the annual Governor's picnic, which usually happens in mid-July. But it looked like Sarah Palin was in a showdown with Mother Nature and, in her first picnic as Governor, scheduled it a bit early this year. With my trusty digital camera, I was hoping to take a much more proper photo of me and Palin second time around after that horrible last time at the inauguration. And moments before the weather got real serious and started raining hard, I did just that. Boy, even in those big sunglasses and apron, the governor does look great!

Despite the heavy downpour and lack on condiments, I hope things will be a million times better when I return to Pioneer Park for the reunion barbecue in a couple of weeks. And with that said...so long and stay strong!

The countdown to the reunion begins now!!

Hello, everybody. Except for Lindsay Lohan arrested for DUI and in rehab, Rosie O'Donnell exiting "The View" prematurely, Dario Franchitti (Mr. Ashley Judd) winning the Indianapolis 500 last weekend, and the Anaheim Ducks halfway to the Stanley Cup 2-0 over the Ottawa Senators, there's nothing else for me to bitch about from this slow news week.

But we are in the month of June, and for me and 249 other members of a very elite group, we are inching closer to the biggest event ten years in the making.

Over ten years ago in May 1997, I was among the 250 students who graduated in West Valley High School's class of '97. It was very historic for two reasons, 1) It was the 20th anniversary of the school, and 2) The last graduation commencement to be held at the gym before we followed Lathrop and North Pole's lead by moving them to the Carlson Center.

For me, it was one of the most memorable events in my life, and since then I've been waiting for any word about a reunion coming up. Well, for almost the past year one of my fellow graduates, Keely Buchanan (who now works for Time Warner Cable in Colorado as a manager) has been gathering every contact from us possible and telling them all that she's planning a 10-year reunion this summer.

That's right; the West Valley High School Class of 1997 10-year reunion is on the weekend of June 23-24, and you can damn well bet I'm all pumped for it! A reunion bash with appetizers and desserts is planned for the 23rd at The Annex on Ester (a few miles outside Fairbanks) across the Parks Highway from the Blue Loon. That's followed the next day by a big reunion barbecue at Pioneer Park, where family members (except younger brother Lawrence; he's in Las Vegas and going to be a dad soon and won't fly up here) are also invited.

I'll tell you much more on all this as we seep closer to that historic weekend, but the countdown has already begun. Stay strong and so long!

I failed trying out for "Jeopardy!", baby!

Hello, everybody. As always, lots to get to, so let's not waste any time.

First up...everyone wants to be on television, whether it's on the news or a game/reality show. And speaking of the latter, many Alaskans in the last few days have tried out for a chance to be on "Jeopardy!", as auditions were held in Anchorage on Saturday and here in Fairbanks on Tuesday.

I was at the Fairbanks auditions where the line was slowly but surely starting to form up to a mile. The first 1,000 of us get to take a ten-question written pre-test. I did, and one question cost me a shot at the ultimate quiz show. It was something on Poetry, and the answer was "This place in Ireland has lines that rhyme with A-A-B-B-A." My mind was blank on that one, so I gave up and turned the test in. I didn't pass, but one of them who did told me it was "Limerick." I stomped my foot in disbelief, but what the hey? At least I made my attempt to showcase my knowledge.

Anyway, pass or fail the test, you do get to play a for-fun version of "Jeopardy!" for neat stuff. I did for a Jeopardy! T-shirt and water bottle. And as added bonuses, I took a picture with "Clue Crew" members Sarah Whitcomb and Kelly Miyrahara; they even signed my card!! Now those two may have logged in countless frequent flyer miles globetrotting for clues, but in person...they look pretty hot, especially Sarah; she's quite a looker. Sarah and Kelly are two of the five "Clue Crew" members from the show that made the long journey on the "Brain Bus" up to Alaska.

Well...even though my chance to make my way to "Jeopardy!" went bust, at least I had a great time with the experience. Now if sister show "Wheel of Fortune" can wheel their way to Alaska next for auditions; I'm sure I'll kick ass there than "Jeopardy!"

Last week, "People" magazine unveiled their 18th annual roster of the "100 Most Beautiful People", headlined by Drew Barrymore. Of course none of the "Clue Crew" made the list, but several others like Oscar winners Helen Mirren and Reese Witherspoon, "American Idol's" Katharine McPhee and Carrie Underwood, "Heroes'" hot cheerleader Hayden Panettiere, Jessicas Alba, Biel, and Simpson, usual favorites Halle Berry and Julia Roberts, and Amanda Bynes have all did.

And then there are those who weren't beautiful enough, like Kristen Bell, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Kylie Minogue, and Mischa Barton. Maybe the editors were on drugs or something.

And last but not least...a little something about the "Sexiest Woman of 2007" polling:

As you're aware, we opened the polls with Part 1 of Round 1 featuring the "New Crop". It started out very smoothly in the first couple of days, until somebody pushed very, VERY hard for Hayden Panettiere (Group A), RGX body spray spokeshottie Rachel Specter (Group B), and "Ugly Betty's" America Ferrera (Group C). Even resetting all the votes back to zero didn't do the trick.

Therefore, I have closed the polls for the time being until things get sorted out. We do not want a repeat of 2005 (when there were excessive voting for winner Lauren Graham (whose "Gilmore Girls" will be calling it a series after this season) and runner-up Jennifer Garner) being played out very early. The polls will re-open sometime soon, but for now, they're closed.

And with those things out of the way...so long!

MASSACRE AT VIRGINIA TECH

Good evening. I'm sure as you've watched and heard by now that Virginia Tech was the site of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history today, as a gunman opened fire claiming 33 lives and injuring 17 others before pulling the trigger on himself. Not since Dawson College in Montreal, Canada last fall have we ever seen a college tragedy transpire in North America.

Now we're learning that the gunman behind all this was in the States since last summer on a student visa from China. But to everybody at Virginia Tech who were traumatized by what transpired, that didn't mean anything as the aftereffects of today will be felt for the rest of their lives. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those involved in the tragedy.

Even though this is irrevelant, I think the Virginia Tech massacre may also serve as a wake-up call to the millions of "American Idol" viewers who've been kissing Sanjaya Malakar's ass for so long; and after watching the coverage they've decided they've finally had enough and are going for someone more worthy of advancing. We'll see what happens tomorrow night; good night.

Imus off the air, but Sanjaya still on!

Hello, everybody. As you well know, Don Imus took the Sleazy Route...which cost him his job.

Last week, the radio host made a very derogatory remark about the Rutgers women's basketball team after their NCAA Women's Final Four loss to Tennessee (Florida repeated their victory on the men's side over Ohio State) which immediately set off fireworks. As a result, groups as well as civil rights advocates including Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton called for Imus to hang up him microphone. This week, they got their wish.

First, Imus would be suspended for two weeks without pay. But that alone wasn't enough. Then, MSNBC dropped the simulcast of Imus' show. And finally, just today, came the ultimate punishment: CBS Radio fired Imus, putting him out of a job...for now.

Now that he's off the terrestrial radio airwaves, he may be joining longtime rival Howard Stern in the wonderful world of satellite radio, where he can continue to spout off anything he wants but without the FCC getting in his way this time. It happened with Stern, it happened with Opie and Anthony, and it could happen to Don Imus.

What do I make of all of this? Well, Imus got burned for taking the Sleazy Route by saying something racist, and he got his just desserts by being given the pink slip. But don't worry...it's not the end of him, and when he comes to satellite radio, he will prove a point that he can't be pushed.

With Don Imus (temporarily) off the air, Sanjaya Malakar is, yes, unfortunately still on. Last time I finally had something to say about this as well as listing the top five other ways we can help get him off "American Idol", but nobody cared about the latter (though making an effigy of him is still a great idea). Now as he's among the top seven, we're still hoping and praying that Sanjaya will finally be out of our sight once and for all. One lady's hunger strike didn't work, as she was under doctor's orders to end it.

But Wednesday nights at the Pump House here in Fairbanks (which is a few minutes from my house), everybody's been doing their part in the anti-Sanjaya movement with karaoke. I went there last night to check things out, and then decided to myself, "Oh hell, let me take a stab at this and show Sanjaya who's boss!" So I did by singing "Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson...not before I had to get something off my chest about Sanjaya, saying that he's the growing cancer that needs to be removed off our TVs as soon as possible. The song ended prematurely as the disc started to skip near the end; but after I finished, I told the audience "Hey Sanjaya, let's see if you can top that!" followed by cheers and laughter from them.

I have done video karaoke before (at the all-night party following my high school graduation in 1997; the ten-year reunion is coming up in June), but the second time around was much better. And next time, it could get even better as I hopefully do Lionel Richie. I still want to prove a point that the real American Idols are not on TV, but in our own backyard with karaoke. And the best thing about it: No Simon, no Randy, no Paula, no Ryan Seacrest, and best of all...NO SANJAYA MALAKAR!!!!!! And with that, have a good night.

The Sexiest 30 (or 60) Seconds on Television!

Hello everybody as we head into the weekend! Now as promised yesterday, I have put together a list that is so hot it has made television sets melt every time it hits the air during the breaks! If you're getting tired of excessive ads that feature talking mucus or improving your sex life, this is the one for you. Here now, is my countdown of the...

TOP TEN SEXIEST TV COMMERCIALS OF ALL-TIME

10. Paris Hilton for Carl's Jr., 2005 (maybe this is why they opened up the Carl's Jr. restaurant here in Fairbanks a while back! By the way...for a regional chain, I say they're better than Burger King)

9. Diet Coke Break, 1993 (this ad features office workers watching a shirtless Lucky Vanous swigging a Diet Coke. No wonder why his first name is "Lucky"

8. Maidenform bras, 1956 (these were the first ever lingerie commercials, and even for 1956, they were pretty much erotic)

7. Jessica Simpson for Pizza Hut's Cheesy Bites Pizza, 2006 (Miss Piggy did her own version of the same ad, but I'd rather have Simpson pop those bites into my mouth than Piggy)

6. Doritos 3D, 1998 (premiering during the Super Bowl, it may have had future "Will & Grace" star Sean Hayes, but the real star was Ali Landry, who went from a ho-hum former Miss USA into an instant star overnight)

5. Cindy Crawford for Pepsi, 1992 (I bet the two boys still have the hard-on they got from Cindy while filming this. A remake was done a decade or so later, this time with a still-stunning Cindy and her two kids.)

4. RGX Bodyspray, 2007 (these are brand new, and are already catching on quickly. But it's not as hot as...)

3. Old Spice High Endurance, 2006 (This is the one with Taylor Cole dancing up a sweat. Boy, that made us sweat just watching her hawk deodorant!)

2. Victoria's Secret, 2001?-present (Just watching beautiful women sell and model lingerie at the same time for 30 seconds always give us nasty thoughts)

And the #1 sexiest television commercial of all-time is so hot, it has been shown only in overseas theaters. And with 360 million views, it has become the fourth most popular viral video ever. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...

1. Kylie Minogue for Agent Provocateur (2002)
(And five years later, even after battling breast cancer, we still couldn't stand up after watching her!)

So there you have it: Ten reasons why sex has really sold for over 50 years, and for good reason. But I don't think anyone will ever top the Agent Provocateur ad...maybe Carmen Electra in a home-grown version.

With that said...have a great weekend!

There she goes...back off the air, again!

Hello, everybody. I've got lots of territory to cover as always, so on with the show!

First up...after only two years, CMT announced today they have dropped the Miss America Pageant, leaving the Super Bowl of beauty pageants without a television home -- again!

The cable outlet, which picked up the pageant where ABC left off, had those rights through 2011. But in a statement, they said they won't exercise its option in 2008 or beyond. A CMT executive said it wasn't ratings behind the decision, but its focus on original programming.

With Miss America off the air once again, the search for a new TV home is immediately underway. One group that seems to be highly interested are the Turner networks, as TBS or TNT may pick it up.

Why them? It's real simple: TBS used to have the Golden Globe Awards for years before NBC carried them in 1996 and made them the huge event we know of today. TNT's highest-rated event every year since 2003 is the NBA All-Star Game. Also, both simulcast the Screen Actors Guild Awards after its first two shows were broadcast on NBC. And TNT also serves as home to the annual "Christmas In Washington" specials after spending several years at NBC.

The only thing I watched regularly on TNT until WWE bought them in 2001 was "WCW Monday Nitro"; nowadays, we can relive it all thanks to YouTube.

Now, back to Miss America: TNT/TBS may not be the only ones on the prowl, but FX as well. Whether or not the main Fox network will be involved too, we don't know. USA and Bravo will say no, as mother network NBC already has the Miss Universe family of pageants...which used to belong to CBS for over three decades, and they'll turn down Miss America as well.

In the end, I'd like to see TNT pick up the pageant next because they want to maintain its tradition. Heck, they broke a part of it when it was moved from its longtime home in Atlantic City to Las Vegas, and that's okay. I don't want Miss America go to waste without a television home in its over 80 years. But that's not the only thing everybody's talking about now.

In 1973, White House counsel John Dean told Richard Nixon that "there was a cancer growing on the presidency" in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Well, flash forward 34 years later to 2007, and right now there is a different kind of cancer growing on us that has yet to be removed...and that cancer is Sanjaya Malakar!!!

That's right! If you've been watching (or ignoring) "American Idol" these last few weeks, we are in the middle of a mystery that even the late Robert Stack couldn't solve: Why is this no-talent hack still in?

To refresh your memory, Sanjaya is this 17-year old half-Indian, half-Italian hailing from Seattle whose awful singing combined with boyish looks is keeping him in the competition. Not even a mohawk he sported while missing a few words on Tuesday couldn't stop him.

So, who have we pointed our fingers to? One key factor is Howard Stern, who has launched a campaign for his Sirius satellite radio listeners to vote for him. Another is Votefortheworst.com, which has had some successes in the last couple of years (Carrie Underwood, Taylor Hicks, and Jennifer Hudson among them).

But I know millions of us are already sick and tired of "American Idol" becoming "The Sanjaya Show", and have done something about it. Few have went even as far as to going on hunger strikes until Sanjaya gets the boot. However, I do have some alternatives, and I'm going to share them with you as I list my....

TOP FIVE OTHER WAYS WE CAN DO TO HELP VOTE SANJAYA MALAKAR OFF "AMERICAN IDOL"

5.Hang an effigy of him in your frontyard

4. Dub Apu's (of "The Simpsons") voice and edit it into footage of Sanjaya singing and put the video on YouTube

3. Make him a last-minute replacement for Vince McMahon's wrestler in the Hair vs. Hair match between him and Donald Trump at this weekend's Wrestlemania 23

2. Have somebody as Sanjaya pull a Britney with paparazzi snapping him exiting his car naked from the waist down

And the #1 other way we can do to help vote Sanjaya Malakar off of "American Idol"...

1. For God's sake, just don't watch the goddamn show!!!!!!!

Like I said, Sanjaya Malakar is the cancer right now, and he should be removed as soon as possible. But if he goes all the way and wins "American Idol"...then it'll be one of the saddest days in television history. Can you imagine the crowd at the Kodak Theatre throwing eggs and garbage at the stage immediately after Ryan Seacrest names him the winner? I know I would.

Tomorrow, I have another list; the "Top Ten Sexiest TV Commercials of All-Time". Who has made our sets hot and heavy every time it airs during the breaks? Find out as I count them down from #10 to #1! See you then, and good night.

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY!

Good evening. In 1978, it was his father Dick who beat Rick Swenson by a lead dog's muzzle. Five years later, it was his son Rick who came from behind to reach Front Street. And now tonight, after spending 9 days, 9 hours, 8 minutes, and 41 seconds on the trail, Fairbanks' own Lance Mackey wearing bib number 13 wins the 2007 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on -- ironically enough -- March 13!

Mackey crossed under the Burled Arch in Nome at 8:08 pm, and his rewards for reaching first include $69,000 and a new Dodge Truck. But even though he's officially off the trail doesn't mean the race is over. Paul Gebhardt will be making his way to Nome; he left Safety at 7:11 pm. Martin Buser, Zack Steer, and Jeff King will later follow him as the three have left White Mountain.

From one generation to another and now another...Lance Mackey, just weeks after winning the Yukon Quest, has made dog mushing history tonight by claiming victory in both that race and the Iditarod in the same year. No other musher has scored that feat until now, and Lance did it. With that said...good night.

Hello, everybody. One year ago today on March 12, 2006, was the day that Fairbanks met Hollywood. Because on that day, actor John Leguizamo paid a little visit to the Golden Heart City as he promoted "Ice Age: The Meltdown" by opening a specially themed kids' ice park named after the movie with then-governor Frank Murkowski joining alongside him. I covered it all in this very blog.

It was quite a major event by having a well-talented and internationally known actor like Leguizamo set foot in this town, and it paid off in the end as "The Meltdown" would open at #1 at the end of the month; that's the good news. The really good news? It buried the much-hyped and anticipated "Basic Instinct 2", which earned $3.2 million and became the ultimate motion picture laughingstock of 2006. At the annual Razzie awards that took place on Oscar Weekend, the film picked up three awards for Worst Screenplay, Actress (Sharon Stone), and Picture.

Anyway, the next day I was on media watch to see if anybody other than the News-Miner covered Leguizamo. I was disappointed, as all the local newscasts had soundbites while on the entertainment shows side, "Entertainment Tonight" had five seconds of footage. A local video production company, Moving Images, used Anchorage station KTUU's satellite truck parked outside the warm-up center to feed their video of the visit to the world...if anybody cared about it.

But yes, it all transpired exactly one year ago tonight, and now we move forward to today and the latest on the Iditarod.

Lance Mackey over the weekend has taken the lead from Jeff King as he entered Elim at 5:55pm and out six minutes later. He's followed by Paul Gebhardt, who exited Elim at 8:30; Martin Buser, King, and Zack Steer round out the top five.

Mackey won his third straight Yukon Quest weeks ago, and he could be well on his way to pulling double duty as far as the Iditarod is concerned. And if my estimations are correct, if things hold up for him, we may be seeing him approach Nome sometime around Wednesday afternoon or evening. But don't count out Gebhardt; he's hot on Mackey's trail and depending on the conditions, we could be seeing 1978 all over again (when Rick Swenson and Dick Mackey were paw-to-paw with Swenson having the advantage; but in the end, it was Mackey by a hair). We'll find out as the 35th Iditarod reaches the homstretch, and so long!

Hello, everybody. Lots of stuff to bring up, so let's not waste any time.

First up, the 35th running of the Iditarod, and the forecast may call for a neck-and-neck finish next week. Defending champion Jeff King has taken the lead from Martin Buser, leaving Eagle Island at 12:55pm Saturday with Buser far behind five minutes later. Paul Gephardt, Lance Mackey, and Zack Steer round out the top five so far.

Now during the past week, Buser ruled the trail, including reaching the Yukon River first on Friday with $3,500 (in $1 bills) and a seven-course meal as his reward. The meal started with a king crab apple tower with horseradish cream, then smoked corn bisque and goat cheese dumpling. For the main course, it was a seafood course of prawns and scallops with pancetta and pomegranante mustard and a meat course of seared ostrich medallions. Jicama salad followed by bittersweet chocolate crepes and a cheese plate with pear poached in port finished off the meal.

Of course, the big story in the first few miles were that injuries suffered by Doug Swingley and Dee Dee Jonrowe forced them of the race prematurely.

As things stand out right now, Buser wants to join Rick Swenson (27th place) in the "Five-Timers Club" while King's on the hunt for a back-to-back entrance to the Burled Arch and his fourth overall. We'll find out when the two are about to make their way to the coast.

And now, something I've brought up in the newsgroups earlier this week concerning a television institution in trouble:

For the last few months now, "Soul Train" has been airing classic episodes from the '70s and '80s in lieu of the new episodes they've been taping for this season. Why, you ask?

Here's why: in recent years, ratings for the show has dropped hard to below 1.0 as stations who used to show Soul Train on Saturday afternoons have buried it to middle-of-the-night time slots. Tribune Entertainment -- Soul Train's syndicator since 1985 -- was very unhappy at these bits of news, and plans were made to derail the Train (i.e., canceling the show) after 35 years as television's longest- running, first-run syndicated program. When Don Cornelius heard about this, the only way he's been doing to save his franchise -- which includes the annual Soul Train Music Awards, in which this year's is coming up -- is to crack open the vaults and air the old episodes as "The Best of Soul Train."

The new episodes for the 36th season have been taped since December and were supposed to air starting in February, but the response (and the ratings) for the classic shows have been tremendous and those new shows will still have to wait a while.

What does the future hold for Soul Train? Well, Tribune has been in financial peril lately, and a change in syndicators may be the best way to keep the Train chugging for a bit longer. King World might be interested, as the shows they've distributed (Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, Oprah Winfrey) have been atop the syndication ratings for over 20 years. Another is NBC Universal, because they'll be without a first-run weekly (George Michael Sports Machine) after this month. If the current run of Family Feud can switch from one distributor to
another (Tribune to Debmar-Mercury), so should Soul Train! Of course, that could mean stations running the show once again in the Saturday afternoon slots where they belong(ed).

I wouldn't be surprised if we'll be hearing "The SOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUULLLLLLL TRAIN!!!!!!!" come their 37th season...that is, if the show will be in HD.

Yes, "Soul Train" is on the bubble, and with BET as well as the explosion of YouTube and iTunes on the Internet the show may be given its last rites even if classic episodes from 20 to 30 years ago have been running. Look at "American Bandstand"; it was the only place to be to get your music fix on television until MTV spelled the beginning of the end. I have watched Soul Train on and off for as long as I can remember, and even though they've changed looks over the last three decades to keep up with the times the format has remained the same.

The annual Soul Train Music Awards (part of the show's franchise) will be held this weekend and will start airing next weekend; but with the way things are going, could it be their last? The future of one on television's longest-running shows 35 years running rests in the hands of Don Cornelius.

And with that...we wish you love, peace, and SOOOOOOOOO long!

MOB RULES AT THE OSCARS!

Hello, everybody. At 3 hours, 47 minutes, the 79th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday were, to quote Jerry Garcia, "A long, strange trip it has been." But despite the length, it was worth it thanks to host Ellen DeGeneres and voiceover legend Don LaFontaine as one of the announcers.

For the night's big winners, the trip to Oscar gold was also a memorable one as Forest Whitaker and Helen Mirren were honored Best Actor and Actress for their "royal" roles as King and Queen respectively, while Alan Arkin beat Eddie Murphy for Supporting Actor (thanks, "Norbit"!) with Jennifer Hudson easily claiming Supporting Actress.

Meanwhile, Al Gore finally won something as "An Inconvient Truth" picked up Documentary Feature and Best Song for Melissa Etheridge; the latter a first for a documentary. "Happy Feet" clogged the "Cars" for Animated Feature; "The Lives Of Others" trumped the heavily favored "Pan's Labyrinth" for Foreign Language Film (at least "Labyrinth" did pick up three Oscars); and in his 19th stab at that gold, Kevin O'Connell who helped with the sound for "Apocalypto"....lost again, this time to "Dreamgirls."

After everything was said and done, "The Departed" took the most bounty with five awards including Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture of 2006, and after five attempts, Martin Scorsese as Best Director; I'll get to him in a bit.

Now while the temperatures here in Fairbanks have been in the below zeros for at least a week, it was the red carpet that generated tons of heat. Mirren looked like a queen herself in her Christian Lacroix, while Jessica Biel looked more like hot in Oscar de la Renta pink than pretty. Other standouts included those from Jodie Foster (Vera Wang), Beyonce Knowles (Armani), last year's Best Actress and the still single Reese Witherspoon (Nina Ricci), and Jennifer Lopez (Marchesa).

So whose stood out the most? It has to be Penelope Cruz and Cate Blanchett. If this was a report card, I would've graded them both A's. But I'm going to have to give Anne Hathaway, Cameron Diaz, and Jennifer Hudson all F's, as they flunked in what they had on..

And now, to the stories behind the wins: Dame Helen Mirren came a long way from the "Prime Suspect" series while Forest Whitaker's road to gold started with "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (alongside future Oscar winner Nicolas Cage, whose "Ghost Rider" is still tops at the box office) and went all the way to...the recent revival of "The Twilight Zone"? Next up for him will be "The Air I Breathe" with three-time Sexiest Woman winner Sarah Michelle Gellar, who hit the Oscar party circuit on Sunday and still looks fabulous as she's hitting 30 this spring.

But in the end, it was all about the man behind "The Departed." After five losses in over two decades to Robert Redford, Barry Levinson, Kevin Costner, Roman Polanski, and Clint Eastwood while working alongside Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Paul Newman, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, and Daniel Day-Lewis in his films, Martin Luciano Scorsese is finally sitting on top of the cinematic globe. A well-deserved victory for a well-honored director.

It may have long and dragged out as usual (in Alaska, the show aired on a (usual) delay till 11:20 pm), but for the night's big winners including Scorsese as the biggest of them all, the 79th Annual Academy Awards was a one-night only affair. And with my usual take on entertainment's biggest night...good night!

(Oh, by the way...as for my picks, it was back to the old standard (after last year's clean sweep) as I got four out of six.)

Oscar Preview Week: Best Picture and My Predictions

Here we go as Oscar Preview Week concludes with the five films up for Best Picture of 2006 and my picks. In Best Picture, you've got a Golden Globe winner for Foreign Language film going up against a Golden Globe winner for Motion Picture-Drama. Though one of them is favored to win, don't rule out the other three nominees. And they are...

BEST PICTURE (producers' names are in parentheses):
"Babel" (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Jon Kilik, and Steve Golin): Several interwoven storylines unfold across four countries as difficulties in communication and understanding complicate life in the shrinking global village. A Moroccan shepherd, a pair of American tourists, a deaf Japanese teenager, and a Mexican nanny and her two young American charges are among the characters whose lives connect in unexpected ways.
"The Departed" (Graham King): Unbeknownst to the Massachusetts state police department, crime boss Frank Costello has placed a mole in its ranks: cadet Colin Sullivan. The police succeed in infiltrating Costello's organization as well, however, providing a credible criminal background for undercover cadet Billy Costigan, who manages to gain Costello's trust.

"Letters From Iwo Jima" (Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Lorenz): The battle of Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest campaigns of the Second World War, is examined from the point of view of the Japanese soldiers defending the island. A cache of letters found years later provides the perspectives of several soldiers as they prepare for the coming American attack, longing for home and knowing they face almost certain death. Eastwood's last Best Picture win was for "Million Dollar Baby" two years ago; Spielberg's was for "Schindler's List" in 1994.
"Little Miss Sunshine" (David T. Friendly, Peter Saraf, and Marc Turtletaub): Seven-year-old Olive dreams of winning a children's beauty pageant and convinces her family to drive her from their home in New Mexico to California for the Little Miss Sunshine competition. Along for the ride are Olive's father, a failed motivational speaker, her heroin-addicted grandfather, silent brother, suicidal uncle, and her increasingly frustrated mother.
"The Queen" (Andy Harries, Christine Langan, and Tracey Seaward): In the days immediately following the death of Princess Diana in 1997, public grief turns to outrage at the perceived lack of response to the tragedy on the part of Britain's royal family. As the recently elected Prime Minister Tony Blair urges her to be more responsive to the mood of the nation, Queen Elizabeth confronts the changes that modern life has forced on the centuries-old monarchy.

And that's the field, now comes to the all-important question: Who will take it all on Sunday night? Last year, thanks to a last-minute pick for "Crash" over "Brokeback Mountain", I finally got all six right for the first time. But will I make it two years in a row? Here's who I think will walk out of the Kodak Theatre after Sunday with the hardware:

Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson
Best Actor: Forest Whitaker
Best Actress: Helen Mirren
Director: Martin Scorsese (will he finally win this time?)
Best Picture: Last year, "Brokeback Mountain" may have received the Golden Globe but in the end -- thanks to a Screen Actors Guild win -- lost to "Crash". This year, "Babel" picked up the Globe though it was "Little Miss Sunshine" taking the SAG for Best Motion Picture Ensemble. But I'm not going to repeat myself this time and will say that when the smoke clears, everyone will be babbling about "Babel."

So there you go. We'll see how I fare on Sunday when the 79th Annual Academy Awards air on ABC. Now it may be live at 5:00 pm on the West Coast, but not to Alaska and Hawaii; the show will air much later in the evening at 7:00 and 6:00 in their respective states. Can you imagine us being home by 4:00 pm here in Alaska or 3:00 pm in Hawaii to catch the Oscars live? Nah!!

Anyway, as always I'll have my complete thoughts on the big show on Monday; see you then!

Oscar Preview Week: Director, Foreign Language Film, and Animated Feature Film

It's a triple threat as we continue Oscar Preview Week with the Directing, Foreign Language Film, and Animated Feature Film field. For one of the director nominees, could this year finally be it after six tries?

DIRECTING (directors' names are in parentheses):
"Babel" (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
"The Departed" (Martin Scorsese): His eighth Director nomination, and there is buzz that he may finally win on Sunday.
"Letters From Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood): Last time around, he beat Scorsese to the Oscar stage for "Million Dollar Baby". Clint also scored a one-two punch in 1992 for "Unforgiven."
"The Queen" (Stephen Frears): Previous nomination was for "The Grifters."
"United 93" (Paul Greengrass): As the events of September 11, 2001 unfold with a documentary-like realism, the chaos and confusion surrounding the terrorist attacks are felt throughout air traffic control headquarters and the military branches responding to the attacks. On United Airlines Flight 93, terrorists seize control of the plane as the terrified passengers piece together a plan to overcome them.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
"After The Wedding" (Denmark): When Jacob, the head of an Indian orphanage, returns to Copenhagen at the request of a potential benefactor, he is persuaded by the man to attend his daughter's wedding. There, he meets the donor's wife, Helene; an encounter that reawakens difficult memories from Jacob's past. Denmark won back-to-back honors in that category in 1987 and 1988.
"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" (Algeria): For the North African troops fighting for France during the Second World War, their experience in uniform becomes a painful lesson in just how little regard their colonial rulers have for their humanity. As one company of soldiers pushes north through Europe, its members continue to find themselves denied the basic rights taken for granted by their French counterparts. Algeria's fourth nomination; its last win was in 1969 for "Z."
"The Lives Of Others" (Germany): In East Berlin in 1984, the secret police organization, Stasi, conducts extensive surveillance operations against any East German citizen suspected of opposing the Communist regime. When Captain Gerd Weisler begins monitoring the daily life of the playwright Georg Dreyman, he finds himself increasingly unwilling to betray his subject's private moments to his superiors. Germany's seventh nomination, but prior to reunification it received nine other nods; the overall total now is 15.
"Pan's Labyrinth" (Mexico): In the violent period following the Spanish Civil War, a young girl captivated by a fairy tale comes to believe she is the lost princess of the story. In the wake of her mother's remarriage to a cruel fascist officer, young Ofelia explores a vast stone labyrinth, where she encounters the faun Pan and is given a series of three tasks to perform. Mexico's seventh Foreign Language nod, and thanks to several wins from BAFTA and U.S. critics' awards (it lost the Golden Globe to "Letters From Iwo Jima"), it is a heavily favored to claim the prize.
"Water" (Canada): In India in 1938, eight-year-old Chuyia--a child bride--learns she is now a widow. Taken from her parents, Chuyia is sent to live for the remainder of her life in a widow's ashram run by the greedy, tyrannical Madhumati. There, she is befriended by the beautiful Kalyani, a young widow who is shunned by the other women and forced by Madhumati to work as a prostitute. Canada's fourth nomination with its previous win being for 2003's "The Barbarian Invasions."

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM:
"Cars": Cocky racecar Lightning McQueen is heading across the country to face his rivals in the California Piston Cup racewhen he is forced to stop in the small town of Radiator Springs. Sentenced by the town judge to repair its mainroad, loner Lightning learns a lesson in friendship from the easygoing locals. "Cars'" other nomination is for Best Song (Randy Newman). If he wins, he'll make us all forget about Three Six Mafia from last year.
"Happy Feet": Mumble is a young Emperor penguin who, unlike the rest of his colony, can't sing a note but is a dazzling dancer. Banished for this perceived flaw by the colony's rigid elders, Mumble begins an odyssey that leads him to a band of friendly Mexican penguins...and his first encounters with the two-legged creatures whose presence threatens the animals' Antarctic home.
"Monster House": When twelve-year-old DJ confronts Nebbercracker, the owner of the menacing house across the street, the sinister old man is taken away after a seemingly fatal seizure. Along with his friends, Chowder and Jenny, DJ decides to explore the house...only to discover that it has its own fatal way of dealing with invaders.

Tomorrow, the conclusion of Oscar Preview Week with Best Picture and my picks. See you then, and good night.

Oscar Preview Week: Best Actor/Actress

Hello, everybody. I'll get to the (very) latest on Britney Spears' antics in a bit, but we continue our Oscar Preview Week with a look at the Lead Acting nominees. Best Actor has two black nominees; one of them was up before for "Ali" while another is fresh off his Golden Globe win. We also have another ex-Mouseketeer, an Honorary Oscar winner, and a double nominee in the mix.

BEST ACTOR:
Leonardo DiCaprio, "Blood Diamond": Leonardo DiCaprio plays Danny Archer, a South African smuggler who forms a partnership with a man who has found a valuable diamond. Film synopsis: Amid the chaos of Sierra Leone's civil war, fisherman Solomon Vandy is parted from his family and forced to work in mining camps. When he escapes after finding a valuable pink diamond, he enters into an uneasy alliance with a South African smuggler who advises him to sell the stone in order to save his family. "Blood Diamond's" other nominations include Film Editing, Sound Editing, and Sound Mixing.
Ryan Gosling, "Half Nelson": Ryan Gosling portrays Dan Dunne, a teacher and basketball coach struggling with a drug problem as he attempts to mentor a talented young girl. Film synopsis: High school history teacher Dan Dunne leads a troubled personal life that is mired in a downward spiral of drugs and drinking. A committed teacher and girl's basketball coach despite his problems, he becomes a mentor to 13-year-old Drey, a studious girl whose own difficult family life has left her in desperate need of a father figure. Other than the third incarnation of the "Mickey Mouse Club" (along with Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and of course, the very troubled Britney), Gosling is also best known from "The Notebook" with girlfriend and fellow Canadian Rachel McAdams.
Peter O'Toole, "Venus": Peter O'Toole plays Maurice, an aging actor who begins an unlikely friendship--and tentative courtship--with his best friend's great-niece. Film synopsis: Maurice is an aging, albeit still working, actor whose main source of social interaction is his friendship with fellow thespian Ian. When Ian's great-niece, the working-class Jessie, moves in with him, Maurice finds himself smitten with the girl, and the two begin an unlikely friendship that Maurice hopes will lead to something more. He may have received an Honorary Oscar in 2002, but this is his eighth straight Best Actor nomination and at 74, he may be the second oldest winner behind Peter Fonda. Besides "Venus", O'Toole was also in "One Night With The King" last year.
Will Smith, "The Pursuit of Happyness": Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a loving father who struggles to care for his young son while trying to regain his financial footing after becoming homeless. Film synopsis: When Chris Gardner loses both his money and his wife through a disastrous investment, he struggles to care for his young son while attempting to get back on his feet. Without a home or income, Chris must find a way to last through his six-month internship at a brokerage firm without losing custody of five-year-old Christopher. Like I mentioned, Smith's last nomination was for "Ali"; he lost to Denzel Washington.
Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland": Forest Whitaker plays Idi Amin, the notorious Ugandan dictator whose charismatic personality cannot mask the savage brutality of his actions. Film synopsis: An idealistic Scottish doctor working in Uganda unexpectedly finds himself selected by the nation's dictator, Idi Amin, to serve as his personal physician. As young Nicholas Garrigan succumbs to the seductive extravagances of palace life, he also becomes an eyewitness to the horrors and brutality of Amin's regime. Whitaker along the way received Golden Globe and BAFTA honors for that role, and there's a good chance he may score the trifecta on Sunday night.

On the Best Actress side, two nominees took the Oscar stage before, while two of them after a few nominations has yet to. Add in a spicy Spaniard and this is one hot battle.
BEST ACTRESS:
Penelope Cruz, "Volver": As Raimunda, Penélope Cruz portrays a Spanish woman dealing with a series of surprising events that threaten to throw her life into chaos. Film synopsis: The women in a Spanish family support one another through a series of dramatic changes in their lives. When young Paula kills her abusive father, her mother, Raimunda, hides his body in the freezer of a neighbor's vacant restaurant and then decides to run the business herself, while her sister Sole is stunned by the reappearance of their mother, who perished in a fire years ago.
Judi Dench, "Notes On A Scandal": Judi Dench plays Barbara Covett, a lonely teacher who develops a crush on a new colleague and uses herknowledge of the woman's affair with a student to manipulate her. Synopsis: Barbara Covett is a lonely teacher who develops an unrequited infatuation with her school's newest staff member, the beautiful Sheba Hart. When Barbara catches Sheba in an affair with a student, she uses her knowledge to place Sheba in her debt...a situation she hopes will give her the upper hand in their relationship. With nomination #6 now, Dench's only win was in 1998 for "Shakespeare in Love" (Supporting Actress).
Helen Mirren, "The Queen": As Queen Elizabeth, Helen Mirren portrays the British monarch facing changes in her traditional role during thedifficult period following the 1997 death of Princess Diana. With BAFTA and Golden Globe prizes for "The Queen" (to go along with the Emmy and Golden Globe she already got for "Elizabeth I"), she is the odds-on favorite to take it all the third time around.
Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada": Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestly, the icily difficult fashion editor whose outrageous demands make the lives of her two assistants a nerve-wracking challenge. Synopsis: When idealistic journalism major Andy Sachs lands a job as an assistant to fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly, she is soon struggling to cope with both the high-pressure demands of the critical Priestly and her colleagues' open disdain for her own lack of style and fashion sense. In her 14th nomination with two wins in 1979 ("Kramer vs. Kramer") and 1982 ("Sophie's Choice"), Streep is the most nominated actress in Academy Awards history. Also, she is the only lone American up for this year's Actress prize.
Kate Winslet, "Little Children": Kate Winslet plays discontented wife and mother Sarah Pierce, whose affair with a neighbor may destroy both their marriages. Synopsis: When Sarah and Brad, two young parents dissatisfied with the boredom of their suburban lives, meet through their children at the park, they begin an affair that may destroy both their marriages. Interwoven with their story is the troubled life of sex offender Ronald McGorvey, who becomes an object of suspicion and rage following his return to the neighborhood. This is Winslet's third Best Actress nomination to go along with her two previous Supporting Actress nods, making it five overall.

Tomorrow, we continue Oscar Preview Week with Director, Foreign Language Film, and Animated Feature Film; then on Friday, Best Picture and my predictions.

Now...Oops, she's out of rehab again! Just a little after 24 hours, Britney Spears checked out of Promises Treatment Center in Malibu on Wednesday just a few days after going bald, donning a wig, and adding another tattoo.

I said last night that the self-destruction for Britney has already begun, and it wouldn't be long until she explodes. And while Aguilera has added two more Grammys this year while Ryan Gosling is hoping to upset Forest Whitaker on Sunday, Britney meanwhile continues to fall off the deep end. And if she is reading this blog, I have a very urgent and open message to her: GROW UP BEFORE YOU SCREW UP!!!!!

But the one story we serious news junkies care about is that British troops are scheduled to be pulled out of Iraq by this summer. As for the casulaties, only 130 of those were killed since 2003 while the U.S. continues to lead the tally with over 3,000 of our troops. The news on the withdrawal may be a wake-up call to President Bush to do the same here.

Well, with all that said...have a good night.

Hello, everybody. Before I go any further, let me be honest with you on this:

The reason why I didn't offer my usual thoughts on what's been going on in recent weeks (Indianapolis Colts winning Super Bowl XLI, the Grammy Awards, Anna Nicole Smith's death) was because my computer was experiencing "technical difficulties." The hard drive which had all my data from all those years was bad (something about lots of bad sectors) and a fresh one was installed, though I'm keeping the old drive in hopes of getting my stuff recovered so I would transfer them to the new drive. Thankfully, I have backed up all my old "NewsBeats", "Plain Truths", and other HTML files from the old Allen Report site -- except for the graphics I've created which are in the bad old drive -- to the external hard drive. It's going to be quite a while, and I'm hoping and praying that everything will be back to full strength.

With that out of the way...I'm sure you've already heard and seen by now that Britney Spears has literally lost it. Over the weekend, she went bald by shaving her head and the pictures of it would be seen around the world; now, she's in rehab.

I've said time and time again starting with my "Daily News-Miner" Letter to the Editor in 2000 defending her after her MTV Video Music Awards performance, "Let Britney Spears be Britney Spears". Now, in the wake of the aftermath of Anna Nicole's death, the self-destruction of Britney has already begun. It's only time now when she will explode.

Anyway...next Sunday is the 79th Annual Academy Awards, and all this week like I've been doing on the old site we'll be taking a look at who's up for the coveted prize, starting with the Supporting Acting nominees.

Oscar Preview Week: Supporting Actor and Actress
(As always, thanks to Oscar.com for nomination info and film synopses)

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Alan Arkin, "Little Miss Sunshine: Alan Arkin portrays the salty, heroin-addicted Grandpa, who joins his family on a road trip to California, where his granddaughter has entered a children's beauty pageant. A two-time Best Actor nominee in the 1960's, this is his third nomination.

Jackie Earle Haley, "Little Children": Jackie Earle Haley portrays Ronnie J. McGorvey, a sex offender whose return home from prison gives rise to panic and hatred among his neighbors. Many remember Haley from the "Bad News Bears" movies; the first one starred 1973 Supporting Actress winner Tatum O'Neal.

Djimon Honshu, "Blood Diamond": As Solomon Vandy, Djimon Hounsou plays an African husband and father who hopes to save his family through the sale of an enormous diamond. Honshu was nominated in that very same category before, for "In America" in 2003.

Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls": Eddie Murphy plays James "Thunder" Early, an African-American singer in the early 1960s who is unable to make the crossover leap to a wider white audience.

Mark Wahlberg, "The Departed": As Dignam, Mark Wahlberg plays a Boston police sergeant who places an undercover cadet in a crime syndicate, unaware that one of his own men is working for its boss.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Adriana Barraza, "Babel": Adriana Barraza plays Amelia, a nanny whose longing to attend her son's wedding leads her to take her two young charges with her to Mexico.

Cate Blanchett, "Notes on a Scandal": As Sheba Hart, Cate Blanchett portrays an art teacher who becomes involved with one of her students and finds herself at the mercy of an older colleague. The last time she was up for that same category in "The Aviator", she won. Blanchett was also previously nominated for Best Actress in "Elizabeth", but it went to her "Talented Mr. Ripley" co-star Gwyneth Paltrow.

Abigail Breslin, "Little Miss Sunshine": Abigail Breslin plays Olive, a brightly optimistic seven-year-old who dreams of traveling to California and competing in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. At 10 years old, 11 months, she would become the second youngest Supporting Actress winner behind O'Neal, who picked up her Oscar at 10 years old, five months.

Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls": Jennifer Hudson plays Effie White, a talented singer whose weight leads her manager and lover to relegate her to a back-up role in her singing group. Film synopsis, since it was shut out for Best Picture: The Dreamettes, an African-American Motown trio, are spotted at a 1962 talent contest by the ambitious CurtisTaylor Jr. Sensing the women's potential as pop music crossover stars, Taylor renames them the Dreams...and relegates plump lead singer Effie to a backup role behind the more glamorous Deena. Hot off the heels of Carrie Underwood's recent Grammy wins (including Best New Artist), Hudson has all of "American Idol" rooting for her.

Rinko Kukuchi, "Babel": Rinko Kikuchi plays Chieko, a troubled deaf teenager living in Tokyo with her father and haunted by the tragic death of her mother.

Tomorrow, Oscar Preview Week continues with Best Actor and Actress; followed by Director, Foreign Language Film, and Animated Feature Film on Thursday, and wrapping up on Friday with Best Picture and my predictions. So long!

Good evening. A whole lot of stuff to get to as always, so on with it.

Late tonight, a troubled President Bush gave his annual State of the Union speech in front of a Democrat-controlled House and in front of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. With approval ratings still at its lowest ever, this was his one and only moment to pick up some ground. Terence Hunt of the Associated Press has more, and this is probably the first time since the Allen Report site that I've posted a news story here:

Bush challenges foes of Iraq troop plan
By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent

A politically weakened President Bush implored a skeptical Congress Tuesday night to embrace his unpopular plan to send more U.S. troops to Iraq, saying it represents the best hope in a war America must not lose. "Give it a chance to work," he said.

Facing a political showdown with Democrats and Republicans alike, Bush was unyielding on Iraq in his annual State of the Union address. He also sought to revive his troubled presidency with proposals to expand health insurance coverage and to slash gasoline consumption by 20 percent in a decade.

Democrats — and even some Republicans — scoffed at his Iraq policy. Unmoved by Bush's appeal, Democrats said the House and Senate would vote on resolutions of disapproval of the troop buildup.

"We need a new direction," said freshman Sen. Jim Webb, picked by the Democrats to deliver their TV response. "The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military," said Webb, a Vietnam veteran opposed to Bush's invasion of Iraq.

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman of Minnesota, also took issue with Bush. "I can't tell you what the path to success is, but it's not what the president has put on the table," he said.

It was a night of political theater as Bush went before the first Democratic-controlled Congress in a dozen years with his lowest approval ratings in polls.

Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, the first woman to lead the House, sat over Bush's shoulder, next to Vice President Dick Cheney. Reaching out to the Democrats, Bush opened with a tribute to Pelosi and paused to shake her hand. He also asked for prayers for Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson, hospitalized for more than a month after suffering a brain hemorrhage, and Republican Georgia Rep. Charlie Norwood, suffering from cancer.

The speech audience included up to a dozen House and Senate members who have announced they are running for president or are considered possible contenders.

Bush divided his 49-minute address between domestic and foreign issues, but the war was topic No. 1.

Pelosi set the tone for Democrats. She sat silently and did not applaud as Bush warned of high stakes in Iraq and said American forces must not step back before Baghdad is secure.

With Congress poised to deliver a stinging rebuke on his troop increase, he made a personal plea to lawmakers.

"I have spoken with many of you in person. I respect you and the arguments you made," Bush said. "We went into this largely united, in our assumptions and in our convictions. And whatever you voted for, you did not vote for failure."

"Our country is pursuing a new strategy in Iraq and I ask you to give it a chance to work," Bush said. "And I ask you to support our troops in the field and those on their way."

Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave Bush a swift answer. "While the president continues to ignore the will of the country, Congress will not ignore this president's failed policy," they said in a joint statement after his address. "His plan will receive an up-or-down vote in both the House and Senate, and we will continue to hold him accountable for changing course in Iraq."

Bush said the Iraq war had changed dramatically with the outbreak of sectarian warfare and reprisals.

"This is not the fight we entered in Iraq, but it is the fight we are in," the president said. "Every one of us wishes that this war were over and won. Yet it would not be like us to leave our promises unkept, our friends abandoned and our own security at risk.

"Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle," the president said. "Let us find our resolve and turn events toward victory."

Key Republicans have joined Democrats in drafting resolutions of opposition to the plans he announced two weeks ago to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq. Bush said his approach had the best chance to succeed, but clearly many lawmakers — and overwhelming majority of Americans — disagreed.

"Many in this chamber understand that America must not fail in Iraq because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far reaching," the president said. "If American forces step back before Baghdad is secure, the Iraqi government would be overrun by extremists on all sides."

In such a case, he forecast "an epic battle," Shiite extremists backed by Iran against Sunni extremists aided by al-Qaida and supporters of Saddam Hussein's government, leading to violence that could spread across the Middle East. "For America, this is a nightmare scenario," Bush said.

On domestic matters, he pressed Congress to help find ways to overhaul entitlements such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid before they impose huge problems for future generations.

"Somehow we have not found it in ourselves to act," he said. "So let us work together and do it now."

On immigration, too, the president made a plea to lawmakers that he has made before, seeking comprehensive changes including a guest worker program, that go beyond tougher border controls. Members of his own party were the main obstacle to success in that area — a fact Bush acknowledged even as he pressed for a better result now than Capitol Hill is run by Democrats more amenable to his ideas.

"Convictions run deep in this Capitol when it comes to immigration," he said. "Let us have a serious, civil and conclusive debate."

Bush said his energy proposals would cut American imports by the equivalent of 75 percent of the oil coming from the Middle East. His prescription, as always, relied primarily on market incentives and technological advances — not government mandates.

"America is on the verge of technological breakthroughs that will enable us to live our lives less dependent on oil," he said. "These technologies will help us become better stewards of the environment — and they will help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change."

Bush called for changing the tax code to encourage more people not covered by medical insurance to buy a plan, and to discourage others from keeping the most costly health care plans.

Under Bush's proposal, employer-financed health care benefits would be considered taxable income after a deduction of $15,000 for families and $7,500 for individuals. Those buying their own plan would get the same deductions on their taxes.

The White House said 80 percent of workers with health insurance through their jobs would see a tax cut as a result of the change. But about 20 percent would see a tax increase — those workers whose health insurance cost more than the standard deduction.

"With this reform, more than 100 million men, women and children who are now covered by employer-provided insurance will benefit from lower tax bills," Bush said. "At the same time, this reform will level the playing field for those who do not get health insurance through their job."

The administration sought to make Bush's energy initiatives — in particular a 20 percent cut in gasoline usage by 2017 — an eye-catching centerpiece of his address, the one major element not revealed until hours before the speech. "It is in our vital interest to diversify America's energy supply, and the way forward is through technology," Bush said.

The cut would be achieved primarily through a sharp escalation in the amount of ethanol and other alternative fuels that the government mandates must be blended into the fuel supply. The rest would come from raising fuel economy standards for passenger cars, a plan that Bush has proposed in the past but failed to win from Congress.

Acknowledging that some would say such a drastic increase in alternative fuels is unrealistic, the White House argued that the new mandate — which would need approval from Congress — would spur investments in the industry and give technological research a boost.

While setting cutback goals, the president spurned appeals from environmentalists and some major corporations to impose mandatory ceilings on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of slowing climate change.

Now, the AP story stated that Pelosi didn't applaud when Iraq was mentioned, and for good reason: Sending in over 20,000 troops would be overkill.

Of course, in the audience was Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, who made it official over the weekend that she's running for President in 2008. It probably won't be long till Illinois Senator Barack Obama will make his big decision. I'm sure they have very different plans to deal with this Iraq mess.

Anyway...we're now down to two, as it'll be the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLI. Da Bears beat the New Orleans Saints, who despite a stream of fans from that area and the Mississippi Coast making the 12-hour train ride up to Chicago, was no match for Chicago's strong defense. And thanks to a fourth-quarter rally, Peyton Manning's Colts came from behind to prevent the New England Patriots from turning Super Bowl XLI to Super Bowl XX. The only downside for the Patriots? They were facing against Indianapolis' Adam Vinatieri, whose field goals helped his old team win three Super Bowls!! Boy, that bit them in the ass!

Now that Chicago will be heading to the big game again, they may have to do a new version of the "Super Bowl Shuffle", which they recorded a few months before they went to Super Bowl XX. But I don't know if the Colts will fight back with a rally song of their own; remember "The Patriots and We" as the response to "Super Bowl Shuffle" immediately after they won the AFC title? Guess not. One of the lines said they would beat the Bears 100-3; in the end, it was 46-10 for Chicago.

The Bears may be shuffling on down to Miami for Super Bowl XLI, but a lot of motion pictures' finest will be doing a different shuffle of their own on February 25: The Oscar Shuffle! That's right, earlier this morning nominations for the 79th Annual Academy Awards were announced, and there were shocks and surprises as always.

"Dreamgirls" leads the way with eight nominations including Supporting Acting honors for Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, that's the good news. The bad? Of those eight, none of them are for Best Picture of 2006; those five vying for that are "Babel", "The Departed", "Letters from Iwo Jima", "Little Miss Sunshine", and "The Queen".

In Best Actor, Leonardo DiCaprio in his third overall nomination for "Blood Diamond" (his second in leading) will be facing against Ryan Gosling, Peter O'Toole (eighth nomination), Will Smith (second nod), and Golden Globe winner Forest Whitaker. On the Actress side, Meryl Streep in her record 14th nomination may prevent eventual favorite Helen Mirren's chances of taking Oscar home. But don't rule out Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, and Kate Winslet; the latter two have been at this before.

As for the others, Martin Scorsese is up for his eighth attempt at grabbing that gold for "The Departed"; the last time, Clint Eastwood beat him to the prize. He is up for "Letters from Iwo Jima", and it's going to be quite a barnburner. "Cars", "Happy Feet", and "Monster House" are up for Animated Feature Film; former Vice President and 2000 Presidential candidate Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" is in the Documentary Feature running; Canada's "Water" is shooting for Foreign Language Film, and in Sound Mixing...in his nineteenth nomination -- yes, NINETEEN!!!!! -- and not a single win, will Kevin O'Connell finally come up to the Kodak Theatre stage for "Apocalypto"?

Oh yeah, there are those who didn't get the wake-up call from the Academy today. I'm talking about Brad Pitt for "Babel" and anybody from "Bobby."

We've got till February 25 to straighten these out; that's when the 79th Annual Academy Awards will be handed out with host Ellen DeGeneres in control. And with all that said...good night!

Hello everybody, and Happy (very belated) New Year. There's a lot of territory to dig up in this first blog of 2007, starting with -- of course -- the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards last night.

"Dreamgirls" took Supporting Acting honors for Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson, as well as Best Picture (Musical/Comedy). Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat") and Meryl Streep "(The Devil Wears Prada") claimed that category's lead acting prizes. In Drama, "Babel" picked up Best Picture, while Forest Whitaker received Best Actor for "The Last King of Scotland" and Helen Mirren making it double with Best Actress for "The Queen" and TV Miniseries/Movie Actress for "Elizabeth I". Meanwhile, Clint Eastwood's "Letters from Iwo Jima" got Foreign Language Film and Martin Scorsese, Best Director for "The Departed."

On the television side, "Ugly Betty" was the big story, garnering Best Comedy and Best Comedy Actress for a surprised America Ferrara; "30 Rock's" Alec Baldwin won Comedy Actor. Fellow ABC hit "Grey's Anatomy" made up for their Emmy shutout by picking up Best TV Drama, with Kyra Sedgwick ("The Closer") and Hugh Laurie ("House") being honored in acting.

Hollywood's party of the year began with -- where else -- the red carpet. Beyonce, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Teri Hatcher, the suddenly single Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Biel, Angelina Jolie, and Drew Barrymore all proved why they are called the "Golden Globe Awards" for a reason (especially Barrymore after last year), while Cameron Diaz, Sharon Stone, and the Arquette sisters (Patricia and Rosanna) were probably better off with the Bronze Globes.

However, the real buzz at and prior to the Globes remains the big news about the Beckhams' landfall in the United States. For those not in the know, David Beckham last week agreed to a five-year, $250 million deal to play for Major League Soccer's L.A. Galaxy. David is a big name in soccer; he's like the Michael Jordan/Tiger Woods/Wayne Gretzky of his sport with Victoria (Posh Spice) as his wife. Yeah, now they're going to be calling the States home, the term "Soccer Mom" has already been given a whole new meaning! When the couple landed in L.A. over the weekend, they didn't waste any time shopping for a new home.

What does this mean to soccer on this side of the Atlantic? For decades now, it has taken a backseat to basketball, football, baseball, and (shudder) NASCAR, and Beckham will hopefully be a shot in the arm. And that's what his goal is, to make soccer a mainstream sport in North America than in Europe.

And last but not least...it's never too late for me to chime in on the ongoing verbal brawl between Rosie O'Donnell and Donald Trump, which has already spilled right into 2007. If you saw "WWE RAW" last week, they parodied it with two unknowns playing Rosie and Trump in a mock wrestling match. It was so lame that a few minutes into this, the crowd was chanting "Boring!", "We want wrestling!", and believe it or not, "TNA!" Yes...right in Vince McMahon's ear they were rooting for WWE's new rival! Trump "won" of course, but the damage has already been done.

If the two really want to settle their differences once and for all, they should quit with the squabbling and make up. But then again, I think Rosie has the advantage. Heck, put the thing on pay-per-view, bring in Michael Buffer, and let's watch the fists really fly! With that said, so long!

For the 16th year (and ninth online), it's the one year-end list that's a true original...unlike Letterman's stale Top Tens. It's...

20, (and in her EIGHTH STRAIGHT APPEARANCE!). The newly single Britney Spears (I would've ranked her higher if she put on some damn underwear!)

19. Vice President Dick Cheney shooting an unsuspecting man in the face (suddenly, it's 1986 and that "Duck Hunt" game all over again)

18. The Miami Heat winning the NBA title (and all over Florida, people were drunk on too many Metamucils)

17. John Leguizamo visiting Fairbanks to promote "Ice Age: The Meltdown" (now we know why "Basic Instinct 2" bombed)

16. "Heroes" reviving hopes for fourth-place NBC (I'll only start watching "Heroes" if Hayden Panettiere ditches her cheerleader outfit for a bikini)

15. The WB and UPN becoming The CW (while My Network TV still has a dedicated viewerbase -- all nine of them!)

14. "Crash" upsetting "Brokeback Mountain" for the Best Picture Oscar (moments later, riots at Pottery Barns escolated)

13. Mark Foley's sex-fueled online chats to a congressional page (just imagine if the page was one of those decoys from the "Dateline" predator stings)

12. The Seattle Seahawks almost winning Super Bowl XL (it's the Rolling Stones' fault!)

11. "Grey's Anatomy", "CSI", and "TNA Impact" in a three-way battle on Thursday nights (I'll take non-soap opera wrestling over McWhoever The Hell the Male Grey's Characters Call Themselves, please)

10. TIE: Katie Couric's new stint as "CBS Evening News" anchor (which I don't mind, but give me Peter Mansbridge!), and TomKat tying the knot (I had an invitation, but it was lost in Oprah Winfrey's mail)

9. The scandal involving Miss USA Tara Conner (imagine if it was Vanessa Williams...oh wait, it did, and she really moved on; see "Ugly Betty")

8. Zinedine Zidane's headbutt at the World Cup final (maybe "Hardball" should change its name to "Head Butt with Chris Matthews")

7. Michael Richards' racial rant at a comedy club (suddenly, Julia Louis-Dreyfus is laughing heartily)

6. YouTube (America's fastest-growing network...that is, if you just want to claim your 15 minutes of fame)

5. Rosie O'Donnell joining "The View", replacing Star Jones Reynolds (thanks to her takes on Clay Aiken and now Donald Trump, the show has become the WWE gone verbal)

4. Justin Timberlake back on the charts with "SexyBack" (did he compose that song just for Cameron Diaz or after his fantasies surrounding his Super Bowl incident?)

3. Mel Gibson's scandal after his DUI arrest (glad he didn't say anything about the Jews responsible for those child predator busts on "Dateline")

2. The Democrats cleaning House (which looks to be bad news for Bush even before 2008)

And the #1 thing that had the whole world talking in 2006, even if you don't live here...
1. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
(suddenly, The Last Frontier is about to get a little hotter!)

Tomorrow...I conclude the "Year In Review" with the final results of Sexiest Woman of 2006 (nobody cared about the men's poll anymore) and my predictions for 2007!